Cowboys defense comes up big

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Fans might have groaned when Cowboys coach Jason Garrett called a running play on third-and-9 at the Carolina 15 with his team nursing a slim lead late in the game, but DeMarcus Ware loved the conservative decision.

“It was him having the confidence in the defense to say, ‘OK we are going to kick the field goal and leave you guys out there. I know you guys are ready for this challenge,’ ” the Pro Bowl linebacker said after the 19-14 win. “And we answered it.”

After Phillip Tanner gained 5 yards, Dan Bailey kicked a 28-yard field goal to give Dallas a 16-14 lead with 3:25 left. At that point, it was up to the defense to close things out.
Ware and Co. delivered, stopping the Panthers on fourth-and-1 from their 40 when rookie cornerback Morris Claiborne broke up a Cam Newton pass intended for Louis Murphy.

Replays showed Claiborne hit Murphy before the ball arrived, but the Cowboys proved the stop wasn’t a fluke when they prevented the Panthers from crossing midfield after they got the ball back again with 53 seconds left and no timeouts left.

This time, it was linebacker Anthony Spencer who came up big, sacking Newton for a 10-yard loss on third-and-10 from the Carolina 46.

Spencer had missed the previous two games with a pectoral strain.

“He looked great,” defensive coordinator Rob Ryan said. “He is still banged up, but he gave us everything he had.”

Newton was just 21 of 37 for 233 yards with one touchdown and an interception. He rushed for 64 yards on six carries but all his yards came in the first half while Dallas struggled with the read option.

“We had prepared for that damn option all week,” Ryan said. “That’s why I was so pissed off about it.”

Another highlight: Claiborne’s interception of a Newton red-zone pass in the first. It was only the Cowboys’ second pick of the season and the first by a defensive back.

“When I got it, it was like something just got lifted off my shoulders,” Claiborne said. “Hopefully, there are plenty more to come.”

NOTEBOOK: Center Phil Costa was in a walking boot after the game, the result of suffering a partially dislocated ankle in the second quarter. …Linebacker Sean Lee also will have an MRI today after leaving the game in the second half with a sprained toe.